Names that Peaked in 2025

Meadow's upward popularity trajectory certainly suggests that the name has transcended its connection to The Sopranos.. In the US, more than 750 baby girls were named Meadow last year, a number we expect to keep rising.

If it can happen to Scarlett (O'Hara) and Atticus (Finch), it can certainly happen to lovely pastoral Meadow.

Before we let go of the Sopranos connection, how perfect was it that Tony Soprano's daughter's name was Meadow, suggesting that the TV mobster was once a kinder, gentler young dad?

Meadow

Aurelia is an ancient Roman name that's become a surprise hit in the contemporary world. A top favorite on Nameberry, it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 70-year absence and continues to climb.
 
Aurelia is the female form of the Latin name Aurelius, an ancient Roman surname. Aurelius is derived from the Latin word aureus, meaning "golden," which was also the name of a gold coin used in Ancient Rome. Aurelius was a cognomen, a third name in Roman culture that often referenced a personal characteristic or trait, likely used for someone with golden hair.
 
The Roman classic Aurelius, from which Aurelia derives, was very common in the Roman Empire and is currently experiencing a resurgence in the US—it re-entered the Top 1000 list in 2012 after a 61-year hiatus. 
 
The name of several minor early saints, Aurelia's sound and feel can be credited for it being on the rise again. Aurora and Oriana are Aurelia cousins you might also want to consider. 
 
Aurelia was the name of the mothers of Julius Caesar, the writer Sylvia Plath, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, in her honor, made it one of his daughter Christina's <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a>.
 
The name can be pronounced as aw-RAY-lee-uh or aw-REE-lee-uh.

Aurelia

Rooted in Greek mythology, Ares entered the US Top 1000 in 2013, when it was one of the year's fastest rising names. Similar in style to Atticus, Atlas, and Ari, it has continued to climb up the charts, and now ranks in the Top 500, given to around 770 babies each year .
 In Greek mythology, Ares was the blood-thirsty god of war and son to Zeus and Hera. Now, it is used as a unisex name in Spain and the US, and is currently on the rise in the UK and France.

Ares

One of the newest members of the ever-growing cult of pseudo-Hawaiian girl names, Aylani is a fast rising choice of the 2020s. Following in the footsteps of its alternative spellings Ailany and Ailani, it made its debut in the US stats in 2024, and by 2025, it was in the Tip 300. 

 
From its Hawaiian origins, Aylani could mean "high chief" or potentially "orange blossom" if inspiration is drawn from Alani. Among Hispanic families however, Aylani is likely inspired by Ailyn or Aylín, Spanish forms of Irish Aileen and Turkish Aylin, connecting this name to both light and the moon. 
 
While Aylani is less popular than Ailani and Ailany, when considered collectively. they were collectively given to 9986 babies, which could make them feel like a Top 10 choice.

Aylani

This could be viewed as another name fallen to the trend of using a K initial over a C beginning, or it could tie the name more closely to the Hebrew title for a priest, which is transcribed as kohen. It entered the US Top 1000 in 2011 and has been rising ever since, entering the Top 400 in 2023.
 
While the Cohan spelling is currently more popular, Kohen isn't far behind and the contracted form, Koen (also a diminutive of Konrad) is trailing on its heels as one of the fastest rising names of 2023. Other forms on the rise are Coen, Kowen, and Cowen and when you consider all of these together, nearly 3000 boys received the name in a recent year.
 
Regardless of how you spell it, it is worth bearing in mind that it can be considered a <href a="https://nameberry.com/blog/study-ranks-most-controversial-names">controversial choice</a> due to its religious significance, seen by some as inappropriate to use as a first name, particularly by people with no Jewish heritage.

Kohen

Sonny is one of the generic boy nickname names making a surprise reappearance, and it was recently used by actor Jason Lee. Another surprise: It's been on the US Top 1000 list every year since 1927, and as of 2023, it entered the Top 400 for the first time. Laidback Sonny is also popular in the UK, New Zealand and Australia. 



 Most celebrities who've gone by Sonny have had a formal birth name, including Sonny Bono (born Salvatore), Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue (George Ervin), boxer Sonny Liston (Charles), and jazz musician Sonny Rollins (Theodore Walter). Even fictional Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice was born James.

Sonny

Esmé comes from the past participle of the Old French verb esmer, meaing "to esteem" or "to love." It can also be considered a derivative of the Spanish name Esmeralda, which means "emerald". 

 Esmé began life as a masculine name, as in its original bearer, Esmé Stewart,1st Duke of Lennox, and Esmée, with the same pronunciation, was the feminine form. Today both spellings are used as feminine given names, along with Anglicizations including Esmay and Esmae.

 
Esmé is a sweet, sophisticated and charming literary name, from J. D. Salinger's classic 1950 story For Esmé, With Love and Squalor. Esme is also one of the most stylish <a href="/list/434/Baby-Names-That-Mean-Love">baby names that mean love.</a>

 A current favorite among celebs, including Samantha Morton, Michael J. Fox and Katey Sagal, Esme got a lot of publicity via the character Esme Cullen, the vampire matriarch of the Olympic Coven in the Twilight Saga. Esme has long been more popular across the pond in the UK, where it currently makes the Top 50 baby girl names.

 The final accent indicates the pronunciation of ez-may, though in English you can just spell it Esme. Whatever the spelling, Esme is one of the fastest-rising <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/e">girl names starting with E</a>.

Esme

The -en ending is the authentically female one and the traditional Cornish spelling, but more and more Americans are turning to the y as a feminizing element in the final syllable of this name. As such, the name begins to feel more in tune with the likes of Brooklyn or Evelyn while still maintaining its more magical qualities. 
 
 Elowyn entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022, and was a fast rising choice in 2024 when it climbed nearly 250 places up the charts, placing it in the Top 500. Elowen is the preferred spelling in the UK, and also seeing more use among American parents, but whichever spelling you prefer, this is a sweet and whimsical name with a fairy-like aura.

Elowyn

This spelling variation of the classic Evelyn gives it a trendy makeover to fit in with the surge of names ending with -lynn suffixes. Recent counts have seen it given to around 1000 girls each year and it sits with the Top 400. 

With Evelyn now a Top 10 choice, spelling variants have inevitably risen too. Evelynn is currently the most popular option, though Everlyn, Evalyn, and Evelin also getting more attention.
 
 Some parents may prefer the -lynn ending because it clarifies pronunciation, distinguishing the name from Eveline, which rhymes with wine or lean. It doesn't solve the problem however of people most likely guessing the more popular single -n spelling as the right one, nor does it settle the debate on whether the name is EHV-uh-lin, EEV-lin, EHV-lin, or EEV-uh-lin, which really comes down to personal preference and location. 

Nevertheless, Evelynn maintains the dignity and sweetness of Evelyn while also giving it a contemporary twist.

Evelynn

Adelina is back in the Top 1000 after an absence of nearly a century, thanks to the meteoric rise of her sister name Adeline -- along with Adelaide, Adele, and Ada. 

Some parents choose Adelina because they want to get to cute vintage nickname Addie, but others favor it as a slightly more unusual form of this sweet vintage girls' name. A lot of attention was focused on it via the women's figure skating gold medal winner at the Sochi winter olympics--Adelina Sotnikova.
While Adeline is usually pronounced in the U.S. with a long i in the last syllable, to rhyme with mine, Adelina is pronounced with the long e sound at the end, as in 'lee-na'.

Adelina

A vibrant, operatic choice with plenty of flair and plenty of familiarity too. Popular in Italy, Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil, it also ranks in the Top 500 in France and the US. Operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti and football manager Luciano Spalletti are two notable bearers

Luciano

Francesca is a lighter and much more feminine choice than the classic Frances, and one that is increasingly popular with upscale parents. 
 Francesca made an appearance in Dante's Inferno and then, centuries later, in the best-selling novel The Bridges of Madison County, played on screen by Meryl Streep and co-starring Clint Eastwood, who went on to name his daughter Francesca. Other dads of Francescas include Martin Scorsese, Erik Estrada, Jason Bateman and (stepdad) Ringo Starr.
 Francesca is also having a big renaissance in Italy, its country of origin.

Francesca

The lyrical and melodious Elodie, a Nameberry favorite, is starting to rise through the US popularity charts for the first time since the 1880s. This once uncommon member of the El- family is a Top 100 name in the UK, Canada, and New Zealand, while in the US, it was one of the fasted rising names of 2024 and now sits in the Top 400. 
 
Elodie derives from Elodia, the Spanish variation of Alodia, a gothic German name associated with Saint Alodia. Saint Alodia was a child martyr in 9th century Spain, along with her sister Nunilo. In France, Elodie is spelled Élodie, with an accent over the E.
 
Élodie is a mono-named Italian singer and model as well as a major character in the Emile Zola novel The Earth. Princess Elodie is the protagonist of the video game Long Live The Queen and there was a character on The Hills named Elodie.
 Given to around 840 girls in the US in 2024 compared to 380 the year before, Elodie remains a fresher feeling alternative to Melody or Ella.

Elodie

Banks is a topographical surname that refers not to those places where people keep their money but to riverbanks or hillsides, and specifically the people who live and work on them. A name with two very different connotations then, Banks manages to sound smart, preppy, and upwardly-mobile, with a touch of rugged, outdoorsy charm too. 
 
Joining the ranks of plural names and one syllable favorites, Banks entered the US Top 1000 in 2019. It has since risen to be in the Top 400, sharing the lime light with Brooks, Briggs, Beau, and Blake.

Banks

Author Colson Whitehead introduced this surname-name to the lexicon, perfect for a son or grandson of a Nicholas, a Nicole, or a Colin. Or anyone else who likes the sound for that matter, since there are plenty of Jacksons and Harrisons whose parents are not called Jack or Harry.

With the sound and feel that's right in tune with other trending names, such as Colton, Carson, Kayson, and Collins, it is no wonder Colson has seen increased use in recent years. It entered the US Top 1000 in 2017 and has been used on around 1000 boys in each recent year.

Rapper Machine Gun Kelly's real name is Colson Baker, while Colson Smith is an English actor.

Colson

Matthias is the ancient Biblical form of Matthew, widely used along with brother Mathias in the US for the past 20 years.

This New Testament name -- he was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot as an Apostle -- is found in several European languages and cultures. In every language from Scandinavia to France to Spain, the name is pronounced ma-TEE-us, but in the US it might be pronounced with a long I in the middle -- ma-TYE-us.

Mathias

Eliam is less common Biblical alternative to Liam, Elliott, Elias, and Eli, but maybe one that's faster-rising. Eliam joined the Top 1000 for the first time in 2021 and was sky-rocketed in 2024, when it was given to more than 850 boys — double the amount born in 2023. In Puerto Rico, it's a Top 50 choice.
 
In the Bible, Eliam appears in the Book of Samuel, as the father of Bathsheba and one of "The Thirty", King David's elite army, noted for their bravery. It might appeal then as a name with softer sounds but strong associations. 
 
Pronunciation is like Liam with an Eh- in front of it.

Eliam

Sullivan is a jaunty Celtic three-syllable name, with a real twinkle in its eye. It was immortalized in the 1930s classic film Sullivan's Travels and was chosen for one of Patrick Dempsey's twin boys. Nickname Sully is equally jaunty.
 The third most common surname in Ireland, Sullivan's heritage dates back to the third century. Countless distinguished surnamed Sullivans include Sir Arthur, half of composing team Gilbert & Sullivan, Helen Keller's teacher Annie, Chicago architect Louis, early boxer John L. and dour columnist/TV emcee Ed.
 Other celebs with boys named Sullivan: singer Tom Waits and actor James Marsters. Heroic pilot Chesley Sullenberger is known as Sully, and a featured character in Pixar's Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University was Sullivan.

Sullivan

Like the French author with whom the name is most closely associated, Colette is a chic and charming name, sharp, stylish, and feminine but without the frills of Nicolette. After disappearing from the charts for 30 years, Colette rejoined the US Top 1000 back in 2012 and is still on the rise.
 
A short from of Nicolette, an elaborate French diminutive of Nicole, Colette ultimately comes from Nicholas, lending it the strong meaning "people of victory". Given to nearly 800 babies in a recent year in the US, it has also seen a slightly resurgence in France too.
 Actor Dylan McDermott used this stylish name for his daughter, as did actress Constance Zimmer. There's an appealing animated Colette featured in the film Ratatouille, though the most famous Colette remains the author, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, who used it mononymously.

Colette

A variation on the 2000s favorite, this Madison spin-off debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2025, when it absolutely rocketed up the charts. Leaping straight to #319, it was chosen for 958 girls — nearly five times more than the year prior.
 
An English surname meaning "son of Matthew" (or occasionally, "son of Maude"), the rise of Madisson may be attributed to the familiarity of reality TV star and influencer, Maddison Hausburg or to influencer Jahana Nicole Santos (whose daughter is Madisson).